


5 Times Michael was Referenced to Jim and the One Time She Does So Herself

by Storybookwriter



Category: Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Fix It Fic, Gen, I am tired, I do what I want, Multi, They deserve a happy ending, a big fuck you to canon, kind of ooc, listen, low key detective-esque shit, my poor children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 21:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18819796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storybookwriter/pseuds/Storybookwriter
Summary: 5 times in which James T. Kirk heard about Spock's sister and the one time she's there to introduce herself





	5 Times Michael was Referenced to Jim and the One Time She Does So Herself

1\. 

The first time Jim hears Spock allude to Michael Burnham, he doesn’t realize that this was the first time until he had the benefit of hindsight. But, in his own defense, Jim knew as much as the next man (excluding his first officer of course) about her. That is to say, he knew nothing about her. As far as he was aware at the time, Spock had a human mother and a Vulcan father and grew up on Vulcan. Except upon referring to coming-of-age ceremonies on Vulcan, Jim’s knowledge of the early life of his first officer ends there. He is under good authority that his other coworkers know even less than he does. So Kirk found himself listening closely to when Spock began to reference a person from his past. 

It’s during one of their daily chess matches during a break in the Alpha shift the game is proceeding as normal as any other game they’ve played. That is, until Jim on a split decision, moved his queen as opposed to the “logical step” of moving his bishop. Spock raised both eyebrows and mentioned someone he knew making a similar strategy. Jim, driven by his curiosity of this little tidbit of information, pushed Spock to elaborate. But Spock, seemly to suddenly realize a mistake, refused to speak any more of the subject. Jim could see Spock clenching his jaw and Kirk quickly shifted to a more mundane conversation of shift rotations and latest science experiments. Jim did not even know the species of this person much less any definite pronouns so Jim imagination was left to its own devices of conjuring an image of his mind, sifting and combining the faces of people that he used to know. 

2\. 

The second time Jim hears about Michael, Spock’s parents are on the ship during the transportation of the diplomats to Babel. The Ambassador, exhausted from the surgery, was sleeping peacefully and McCoy exhausted from performing the surgery, had taken to his quarters. Nurse Chapel made frequent rounds, making sure that there were no sudden changes in vitals. They thought he was asleep too and their conversation of suddenly shifted from murmured apologies and affirmations to a much more private subject. 

“ -- But there was a chance that she could have felt it.” That was his mother. And there, a new clue was received. The person of the aforementioned conversation’s preferred pronouns. Whoever they were talking about, Spock’s mother was desperate to contact her.

“I would be difficult to determine,” He heard Spock reply. He could tell by the tone of his voice that Spock would have rather been talking about something else.

“But with the connection,” Amanda’s voice was both pleading and hopeful. “There could be the possibility of communication. We might be able to speak to her!”

“Even if she did, what then? Might the only time that we are able to contact her is when she or Sarek is in pain?” Spock’s voice was coming out in an uncharacteristic hiss and Kirk wondered if he would cut through the sudden and suffocating tension with pretending to wake up or if he should focus on keeping his breathing steady and listening to the exchange.

A thick silence was on the room and Kirk could hear Amanda’s ragged breathing, much like when she heard that she could lose both her husband and son during the process  


“Everything has been made more complicated with the leap,” Spock finally said, so lowly, that Kirk nearly missed “It is more than likely that nothing was felt as all has passed where she’s at. We cannot speak anymore of this.”

At this Kirk’s eye cracked open, only to have his eyes meet Amanda’s. Even from here, he could the tears, swimming but remained unshed.  
“Excuse me,” She mouthed, her voice cracking before she made a hasty exit. Spock sunk below the think sickbay blanket in a feeble attempt at hiding. Jim could still see a mop of dark hair peeking from under the thin blue blanket

3\. 

The third time she comes up, the conversation of The Ghost was not brought up by Spock, but rather, by Kirk himself. Kirk coined that term himself as the unknown that occupied the exchange between Spock and his mother seemed to hang in the air like, well, like a ghost. And this began because of gestures. Like most humans, Jim performed wild gesture as he spoke, to “accentuate his point” Jim had answered when Spock had asked why he used such dramatic gestures. Kirk doubted that Spock had gone through his entire life not knowing why humans spoke with their hands but Jim could not think of another reason why he would ask the question. Spock seemed to look fondly upon him when he did though, so that was all the more reason to continue.

It was one of said gestures that accidentally made a pawn fly from the board and roll under Spock’s bed.

“I’ll get it!” And before Spock could get up himself, Kirk was already on his stomach, hand rummaging for the chess piece. He didn’t look, assuming that, like with his room and desk, the space under Spock’s bed was just as immaculate so one could imagine his surprise when he found his fingers fitting a hard box. Acting on impulse like he did with most of his decisions, Jim found himself grasping what felt like was a wooden box and dragged it from underneath the bed. Spock’s posture stiffened as soon as he laid eyes on the box in Jim’s hands as opposed to the runaway pawn.

“What is this.” It came out more as a statement than a question. One that seemed that Spock was not willing to reply to.

“Nothing,” He answered levelly, hoping that Jim would drop the matter. Kirk wasn’t going to let it go just like that.

“If it was nothing, my hands would be empty.”

Spock did not speak but continued to eye the box.

“Be gentle with it.” He finally said. Kirk took it as an invitation to open it. A tattered uniform top, a worn paperback book of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and a crumpled up piece of paper, carefully written in poor Vulcan calligraphy.

“Spock, what is is?” Kirk’s tone has taken on a more serious turn.

“Momentos,” Was the only reply that Spock would offer. After the game had come to a close and Kirk announced he was going to go to the mess hall. He could swear he could see Spock pressing his brow to the tattered fabric of the uniform as the mechanical doors to his quarters shut in front of him.

4\. 

The fourth time involved Kirk gaining a name for the pronouns, though he himself did not come to that conclusion until later on. The landing party was camping out on the planet’s surface for the evening, not buy any malfunction on the transporter beams, mind you, but out of the seemly universal agreement for the people to experience “rustic life” for the evening before returning to their individually tempered quarters the next day. As per usual, Jim shared a tent with his first officer. Jim couldn’t say this for all Vulcans (just for the one that just happened to be his first officer) but Spock was preferable bedmate. Barely moved and was quiet for the night. This night, however, was different. Tonight, Kirk was awoken by restless shifting and speech that slurred between English and what he presumed to be Vulcan. Obviously, Spock was dreaming. He was under the impression that Vulcan could not (did not) dream but suspected that the human elements to Spock’s genetic information made such things a bit more interesting (read as: “complicated”). If Spock had dreamt before it wasn’t with such intensity as he was experiencing right now it was rare enough that it had not once occurred during their frequent “bunking”. Jim pushed himself to a sitting position and turned Spock over on his back and gave his shoulder a slight jolt, his hand pressing to a bare arm.

“Spock wake up! You’re dreaming!”

The reaction was instantaneous. Spock jerked up, roughly seizing Jim’s shoulders so suddenly, that he was nearly knocked off balance. Kirk grabbed Spock’s wrists to both steady himself and to provide that extra connection to help Spock to level his obviously altered emotional state.

There was also a single word in the midst of this. A name to be more precise. Clear as a comm, calling out for someone named “Michael” as Spock had grabbed Jim’s shoulders. 

“Spock, you’re dreaming!” Kirk said, this time more firmly as his mind began to go through all of the possibilities of who “Michael” was. There were several Michaels on board the Enterprise but none of which had any relationship with Spock beyond that of a first officer and those serving under him. At least, none as far as he knew. Spock looked wildly around the tent before resting his eyes on Kirk in front of him.

“It’s okay Spock, I’m here.” 

“But Michael is not,” He concluded, almost sounding forlorn.

Spock slowly released his grip on Jim and lowered himself back on the cot and fell back asleep. Spock said nothing regarding it the next morning and Kirk could not tell if it was because Spock could not remember it or if Spock was embarrassed by his actions the night before. “Embarrassment” was a human emotion. Then again, so was sadness.

5\. 

The fifth time Spock referenced Michael was in the midst of the usual banter on the bridge. It started off typical enough with McCoy making a comment about the maze that he was Vulcan/Human physiology wreaking havoc on the biobeds during the course of his physical. Of course, nothing else was spoken of in regards to Spock’s medical records. Despite his frequent disagreements with the Vulcan, McCoy valued doctor/patient confidentiality around the same tier as the Hippocratic oath. Spock, in turn, responded with his typical Vulcan banter. Kirk smiled as Yeoman Rand handed him a PADD requiring his signature. He’d take the banter between his two closest friends as opposed to paperwork any day. Kirk was only half listening to the banter as Rand directed his attention to the end of the PADD for his signature. What McCoy said to provoke Spock’s response, Kirk didn’t know (or rather, was busy dividing his focus between the PADD and the banter which resulted in him completing neither) but there was no missing the response.

“That is completely illogical, Michael.”

And there was that name again. Instead of it being a shard of a shattered dream, it was now, out in the open. Pulled out of his memory and his mouth and out into the open space of the bridge. While the bridge crew had settled into a comfortable silence, it had grown almost uncomfortably thick with that name. Never, even when they were still unfamiliar with each other, had Spock referred to McCoy by a name that was not his own.

“We might need to perform a second physical on you,” McCoy said, trying to defuse the sudden tension. “If you think that my name is Michael.”

Spock’s posture had grown more straight and Kirk noticed that one clench-jawed expression he had often made when that name or rather, the person came up. Kirk at this point had begun to recall the number of times he had seen Spock with that exact expression on his face.

“Captain, I’ve been conducting an experiment in the Main Science lab, I’d like to report there to change the necessary conditions.”

There was a moment of silence. Chekhov and Sulu pretended to be too occupied with their consuls to know what was happening and Uhura’s head was over her shoulder. From the corner of his eye, Kirk could see McCoy looking between himself and Spock.

“Permission granted,” Jim said at length and Spock wasted no time and turning on his heels and headed to the turbolift. 

“Lieutenant,” Uhura turned in her chair when the captain had addressed her after Spock was out of sight.

“Yes, captain?”  


“I want you to try and do research on anyone named “Michael” that could be associated with Spock.

“I’ll do my best sir,” She replied, which was Uhura for “I really do not know where this is going to go”.

Kirk nodded and wondered if Rand had another PADD to occupy himself with.

 

\-- 

Jim Kirk liked to think he was known for his creative solutions in regards to certain situations, the instant and the most commonly used example coming to mind, being the Kobyashi Maru test at the Academy. While he was warned on what were the consequences if he were to attempt something of it’s kind again, the story of his feat both helped him through fast promotion to be Starfleet’s youngest captain to date. But he could not find any reference to a “Michael” that Spock would know of. He had even gone as far as to search in Spock’s own family records “House of S’chn T’gai” but there was nothing. No reference to a “Michael” besides the overwhelming number of officers and citizens alike with that very name that Spock would know, much less cry about in his sleep. 

And then came The Crew. Even Kirk had to acknowledge the number of times that he managed to get himself and his crew kicked around by temporal anomalies that he often felt that the Enterprise was the soccer ball of the space-time continuum. It appeared to be one of those times except that for once, the ship and the crew were at the same time and place they were supposed to be. No, this time, it was a different ship of a different crew that seemed to have similar luck when it came to physics-defying shenanigans. Their uniforms were completely different, only seeing their variations in the Museum of Space Travel in San Francisco during his academy years. He had also had a vague impression that he recognized it from somewhere other than the museum but he, for the life of him, could not remember where. And that some of the variations of their technology had long since been replaced with improved versions of their technology. Despite all of these changes, the crew seemed to be in good spirits, laughing and joking around as McCoy yelled at them to sit on the biobeds or remain still. There was also a rather entertaining portion of the two doctors trying to grab his medical devices from his hands They were Starfleet officers as the knowledge they possessed was only that of officers. What was unusual, is that they had specific, but rather, outdated knowledge. That, combined with the high amount of chroniton radiation that hung around made time travel more than a plausible scenario. Mr. Spock and a few other astrophysicists had taken a shuttle to study a nearby phenomenon, one in which Kirk wondered if it had any connection to this crew randomly appearing on their scans. There was no sign of any distress call so if everything was right on track, Spock and the crewmen would be appearing in time for dinner. And so, it was Kirk’s intention to fill Spock in on everything that had occurred during his absence.

“There seems to be a bit of commotion,” Spock noted through as they progressed through a series of corridors.

“Ah yes, I thought that I should be the one to brief you,” Kirk replied, casting a smile to his science officer. “We had an….interesting occurrence.”

“Oh?”

“A ship appeared suddenly. A ship that wasn’t on the registry.”

Spock was now silent. Silent, but listening intently.

“Crew with interesting uniforms as well as outdated technology --”

Spock jerked to a sudden stop in the hallway as his caught sight of a lady with red hair; one of the crewmembers on the unknown ship but now dressed in the more modern uniforms of the Federation. Kirk looked at her, back at Spock and then back at her again.

“Spock?”

Kirk tried to tug him towards him but Spock remained in his place and suddenly, Kirk found himself practically hanging off his first officer as he was charging towards the oblivious woman. She only noticed Spock’s presence when he had seized her shoulders and spun her to face him. She was understandably startled and opened her mouth, presumably to yell about him scaring her, but had clamped her jaw shut, pale eyes narrowing and then widening.

“Holy shit!” She said in just above a whisper. “Is that you Spock?! What happened to your beard?!”

There were several questions Kirk had predicted that this woman would have. Asking on what happened to his “beard” was not one of them. He suspected that when McCoy got wind of this, he’d demand photographic evidence. 

Spock only stared at the woman in what Kirk could only identify as pure, unbridled disbelief.

“Are you looking for --”

He nodded.

“She’s in the mess hall with Saru, Jett, and Paul.”

Spock’s only response was a curt nod followed by a sprint down the hall into the direction of the mess hall with Kirk at his heels.

“Spock wait up! What are doing?!”

They finally screeched to a halt at the mess hall doors, which hissed open at the sense of their presence.

As per usual, the mess hall was moderately filled with people eating and talking. It was considerably filled though, and Kirk attested that to the sudden influx of the displaced crewmen. Spock’s brown eyes were all over the mess hall, like a wild animal looking for an escape.

“Michael?!”

And there again? The name of Spock’s Unknown. The chatter associated with the mess hall died down as heads turned to face him. Spock did not seem to notice at all, eyes sliding over face to face.

And then the sound of a tray and a shattering plate on the floor. And Jim’s eyes rested on a woman from the other end of the mess hall. The tray with the nutrition cubes mingled with the broken plate, her hand clamped over her mouth.

“Michael!”

And then Spock quite literally charged towards her. An unfortunate chair that happened to be in the way was knocked aside and a few other people instinctively ducked. Almost as soon as he was within arm’s length, his fingers were wrapped around her elbow and she was yanked into him.

“You’re still here? I can’t believe after all of this time you’re still on this ship!” Kirk could hear her voice crack even from this distance. But then again, the mess hall was so quiet you could quite literally, hear the metaphorical pin drop. The Enterprise crewman awkwardly exchanged looks with one another while the unfamiliar crew gently patted the woman -- the Mysterious Michael -- on the back. Kirk with lack of any clear knowledge of what to approached Spock, only seeing the back of Spock as he clung to the woman like he found a log while drowning in a lake. He could see her in closer detail. Dark skin with a tear-stained face and coily hair. Her arms were around Spock’s torso but were limp, as if being held there. 

And then, she caught sight of him. With a bit of difficulty, she managed to squeeze her right arm out and reach over Spock’s shoulder and towards Kirk. 

“I don’t think we’ve met,” Kirk said lamely taking her hand giving it a slight shake. “Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S Enterprise.”

“We haven’t,” The woman replied, giving a sidelong glance to Spock. “I am Michael Burnham although given your reaction,” She lightly patted Spock’s back. “I might be better known as “Spock’s Older Sister.”


End file.
